Dressed to Kill (1941 film)
Encyclopedia
Dressed to Kill is a 1941 crime mystery starring Lloyd Nolan
, Mary Beth Hughes
& Sheila Ryan
. The film was based on Death Takes No Bows, a mystery novel by Richard Burke
.
detective films. The first seven were made by 20th Century Fox
and starred Lloyd Nolan. The final five were made by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)
and starred Hugh Beaumont. There were also three radio shows (1944–1953) and a television series (1960–1961) based on the Michael Shayne character.
of Glenn MacWilliams."
Lloyd Nolan
Lloyd Benedict Nolan was an American film and television actor.-Biography:Nolan was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Margaret and James Nolan, who was a shoe manufacturer...
, Mary Beth Hughes
Mary Beth Hughes
Mary Beth Hughes was an American film, television, and stage actress best known for her roles in B movies.-Early life and career:...
& Sheila Ryan
Sheila Ryan
Sheila Ryan, was an American actress who starred in over 60 movies.-Acting career:Born as Katherine Elizabeth McLaughlin in Topeka, Kansas, she went to Hollywood in 1939 at the age of 18. She was signed by 20th Century Fox in 1940 and was credited in her early films as Bettie McLaughlin...
. The film was based on Death Takes No Bows, a mystery novel by Richard Burke
Richard Burke
Richard Burke is a former senior Irish Fine Gael politician and a European Commissioner.Dick Burke was born in New York in the United States in 1932. He was raised in Tipperary and educated at the Christian Brothers School, Thurles, University College Dublin and King's Inns. He worked as a...
.
Synopsis
Detective Michael Shayne is trying to convince girlfriend Joanne he is ready for marriage when they hear shots from a nearby hotel. He rushes to the hotel and finds two dead actors, in a suite with the door open, sitting at a dining table. The actors are dressed in costumes they wore 25 years before in a musical comedy at a theatre located next to the hotel. Michael is suddenly drawn into one of the strangest murder mysteries of his career.Production
This was the fourth in a series of Michael ShayneMichael Shayne
Michael Shayne is a fictional private detective character created during the late 1930s by writer Brett Halliday. It was the title of a series of 12 films starring Lloyd Nolan, a radio series under a variety of names, between 1944 and 1953, and later in 1960-1961, a 32 episode NBC television series...
detective films. The first seven were made by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
and starred Lloyd Nolan. The final five were made by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)
Producers Releasing Corporation
Producers Releasing Corporation was one of the more lower-end Hollywood film studios on Poverty Row from the late '30s to the mid-'40s. PRC, as it was commonly known, made low-budget B-movies for the lower-half of a double bill. A few of its films have gained a respectable reputation over the...
and starred Hugh Beaumont. There were also three radio shows (1944–1953) and a television series (1960–1961) based on the Michael Shayne character.
Critical reaction to DVD release
When the film was released on DVD in 2005, DVD Beaver called the film "one of the most enjoyable 'B' movies I've ever seen." Hal Erickson writing for Allmovie writes the film "benefits from a powerhouse supporting cast and the effectively moody cinematographyCinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
of Glenn MacWilliams."